ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has signed a strategic alliance with Ericsson, a global leader in mobile telecommunications, to provide an end-to-end automation platform that optimizes physical and virtual resources for data centers and cloud operators.

By bringing together the Ericsson Cloud System and ABB’s Decathlon® data center infrastructure management (DCIM) system, customers of Ericsson’s cloud services will gain industrial-grade controls and tools to manage and automate a flexible array of power, cooling and IT systems. The new platform will be standardized and designed for ease of use, efficiency and sustainability.

“As the data center market matures, owners and operators are starting to demand the same control and automation capabilities common to other complex, mission-critical environments,” said Peter Terwiesch, President of ABB’s Process Automation division. “Our alliance with Ericsson extends the automation of physical, mechanical and electrical infrastructure right to the heart of IT workload management. It will provide the technology for data center and cloud operators to optimize IT workloads, saving operating costs while improving reliability and the performance of their data centers.”

In a highly competitive environment, operators of data centers are increasingly seeking new operational efficiencies as the management of data centers, their IT systems and facilities – once separate activities – increasingly converge into more holistic operation. The ABB-Ericsson alliance will help to achieve these efficiencies by reducing the need for capital expenditure; enabling more rapid time-to-deployment of infrastructure resources; and lowering energy and maintenance costs through better infrastructure management.

Anders Lindblad, Head of Business Unit Cloud and IP, Ericsson says: “We selected ABB as our partner because the Decathlon for Data Centers is the only DCIM solution available today that can provide a holistic, real-time visibility and control from service processor to power grid as well as enable the dynamic automation of data center physical resources.”

Cloud networking has developed rapidly over the past several years and is expected to reach a market size of $30.5 billion by 2018, which translates into a compound annual growth rate of 29%, according to 451 Research. The cloud is widely accepted as a means of achieving faster data delivery, improved application performance, and increased operational efficiencies for mission-critical workloads.

Small PLCs, that do not have an integrated network interface, can easily be connected to fieldbus and industrial Ethernet networks via their RS-232 interface and the Anybus Communicator.

Flexible communication offerd by AnyBus is a key successes factor for almost any PLC. While most medium and large PLCs offer powerful integrated network interfaces, small and micro PLCs often only support serial communication via RS-232/485 interfaces with Modbus or other proprietary protocols. In these cases, the Anybus Communicator can be used as an external interface to integrate the PLC into almost any fieldbus or industrial Ethernet interface.

Anybus Communicator -Serial to Network Gateways:

The Communicator is connected to the RS-232/485 interface of the PLC and translates the serial data stream of the serial interface into a fieldbus or industrial Ethernet protocol. The Communicator completely handles the protocol conversation and represents the PLC as a slave/adapter on the network. With this solution, the PLC is integrated as one node with slave/adapter function into the network, however the PLC will not be permitted to control the network as a master / scanner.

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The GTM-201-3GWA is an industrial Tri-band 3G WCDMA cellular modem with RS-232 and USB interfaces working on frequencies of Tri-band WCDMA 2100/1900/850 MHz, and Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz. The modem which supports up to 7.2Mbps downlink speed and 5.76Mbps uplink speed services can utilize the 3G/GSM/GPRS network for convenient and inexpensive data transfer from remote instruments, meters, computers or control systems in either live data or packet data. The GTM-201-3GWA enables internet connection over 3G, when 3G service is available. It automatically selects 3G or GPRS continue to work.

Moreover, the GTM-201-3GWA has the integrated TCP,UDP/IP stack so that even simple controllers with serial communications ports can be connected to the modem without the need for special driver implementation. With the features of GTM-201-3GWA, the systems can be SMS and 3G/GPRS connection applications with various PLC and PC. Moreover, with the voice interface, these modems can also be applied to the alarm system with sounds.

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Emerson Process Management has introduced the Smart Wireless Navigator, a new software platform that enables users with large wireless deployments to maximize the power of their wireless networks. The Navigator brings together Smart Wireless tools for planning, managing, and maintaining networks. Valuable wireless network and device diagnostics and data are organized in an intuitive interface, along with the wireless tools, to streamline the Smart Wireless experience.

“Wireless technology is as scalable as it is powerful,” commented Bob Karschnia, vice president of wireless at Emerson. “As users’ facilities grow, they are expanding to installations of multiple wireless networks managed by different groups.”

The Smart Wireless Navigator helps users effortlessly manage their expanding wireless infrastructure and get the most value from their wireless networks. A single software platform design makes it easier for users with large deployments of wireless to manage their networks across functional groups, delivering actionable information to the people who need it.

“To maximize value, facilities also needed a central platform to plan and deploy new networks and to organize the influx of new data and diagnostics,” continued Karschnia. “In answer, we developed a single window interface that brings together several Smart Wireless tools on a specially designed appliance to maximize visibility, efficiency and value.”

An intuitive design organizes large amounts of wireless diagnostic information and data, and existing infrastructure is illustrated and easily understood.

“The Smart Wireless Navigator is a comprehensive tool that helps users realize the value of wireless across the range of reliability, safety, environmental accountability and process performance,” summarized Karschnia, “it delivers value throughout the cycle of engineering, installation, operation and maintenance.”